Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Gary Maynard testified Thursday before the Legislative Policy Committee in Annapolis. Lawmakers wanted to know when the secretary discovered the city jail was being run by a gang and what actions he is taking to address the scandal.

Republican legislators, in particular, had been incensed about the corruption and contraband scandal at the Baltimore City jail complex. A federal investigation led to the indictment of 25 people accused of helping Black Guerrilla Family gang leader Tavon White run a criminal enterprise inside the jail. Thirteen female corrections officers allegedly smuggled drugs, cellphones and money into the facility -- four of them had children with White.

Maynard said a gang task force identified in 2009 the BGF as a dominate force inside the city jail. The investigation led to federal indictments.

The secretary detailed several steps taken to keep a lid on the problem. He told the panel that, in 2011, the task force again identified the BGF gang as problem system-wide with roots in the Baltimore City jail. He asked the feds to help break the cycle.

"Was there any aggressive action taken with that initial indictment in 2009 to root out some of this corruption?" asked Anne Arundel County Delegate Nicholas Kipke, R-District 31.

"How much collateral damage was there during the two years? What steps were taken to avoid collateral damage?" asked Montgomery County Sen. Brian Frosh, D-District 16.

"Is there any pattern to those who you are charging, whether there was a relationship prior to their employment, or does that occur after?" asked Baltimore/Howard County Sen. Ed Kasemyer, D-District 12.

"The storm clouds have rolled in by this period. How do you end up with an audit from the Correctional Standards Commission that says everything is OK?" Senate Minority Leader E.J. Pipkin asked.

So far, the only management fallout at the jail is the terminated head of security. Maynard said she failed her polygraph test.

Prior to Thursday's hearing, the governor detailed several new steps taken to resolve the contraband problem, including fingerprinting visitors and beefing up the jail investigation unit.

At the jail, the state will add cellphone-blocking technology to keep inmates from using contraband phones. The technology will put up an electronic net over the building, blocking calls to and from unauthorized cellphones. The state said it is also going to buy additional cellphone data extraction equipment to better investigate who has been calling inmate and when and where the person was during the call.

The state will also revise a character test to focus on ethics and integrity before hiring correctional officers. A polygraph unit for correctional officer applicants also will be created, and background checks on applicants will be expanded.

Full body-scanners and fast-ID fingerprinting for visitors is also under consideration, as well as legislation to increase penalties for inmates who have illegal cellphones.

Glenard S. Middleton Sr., executive director of AFSCME, released a statement, saying, "No one depends more on the integrity of a correctional officer for their personal safety than a fellow officer. AFSCME members look forward to working with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and elected officials to review every facet of our work to improve and protect public safety for all."

PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, AND OFFICIALS ARE CONFIRMING THE IDENTITY OF THE MULTIPLE OWNERS OF THOSE ANIMALS. LAWMAKERS QUESTION STAY COLLECTION SARAH J GARY MAYNARD. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHEN HE DISCOVERED THE CITY JAIL WAS BEING RUN BY GANGS. 11 NEWS I-TEAM REPORTER DAVID COLLINS HAD A FRONT-ROW SEAT SEAT TO THE HEARING. HE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE. QUITE SURPRISINGLY, THEY DID COVER A LOT OF GROUND. LAWMAKERS ALSO ZEROED IN ON A TIMELINE. WHEN DID HE LEARN OF POSSIBLE CORRUPTION IN CITY JAIL, AND WHAT DID HE DO ABOUT IT? PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS SECRETARY GARY MAYNARD ARRIVED TO BE TREATED AS A HOSTILE WITNESS. THE PUBLIC AND LEGISLATORS IN PARTICULAR, WHO HAVE BEEN IN SINCE ABOUT THE CONTRABAND AT THE CITY JAIL COMPLEX. A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION LED TO THE INDICTMENT OF 25 PEOPLE ACCUSED OF HELPING TRAYVON WHITE RUN A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE INSIDE THE JAIL. 13 FEMALE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS ALLEGEDLY SMUGGLED DRUGS AND MONEY INTO THE FACILITY. FOR HAD CHILDREN WITH WHITE. BACK IN 2009, A TASK FORCE IDENTIFIED B.G. F AS A DOMINANT FORCE INSIDE THE JAIL. THE SECRETARY DETAILED STEPS TAKEN TO KEEP A LID ON THE PROBLEM. HE TOLD A PANEL IN 2011 THAT THE TASK FORCE IDENTIFIED THE B.G. F GANG AS A PROBLEM SYSTEMWIDE. HE THEN ASKED THE FEDS TO DRINK -- BREAK THE CYCLE. WAS HER ACTION TAKEN WHEN THAT INDICTMENT TOOK PLACE? HOW MUCH COLLATERAL DAMAGE WAS THERE DURING THE TWO YEARS THAT -- WHAT STEPS WERE TAKEN TO AVOID COLLATERAL DAMAGE QUESTION MARK IS HER PATTERNS TO THOSE YOU ARE CHARGING REGARDING WHETHER THERE WAS RELATIONSHIP PRIOR TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT? HOW DO YOU END UP WITH A AUDIT FROM THE CORRECTION STANDARDS COMMITTEE THAT EVERYTHING IS OK? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. YOU CANNOT REALLY SEE CORRUPTION ON THE SURFACE. THE INDICTMENTS THAT LED TO THE 13 INDICTMENTS OF THOSE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS, THAT WAS AFTER THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF LISTENING TO CELL PHONE CONVERSATIONS AND WIRETAPS, TRYING TO PIECE THINGS TOGETHER. THE ONLY MANAGEMENT FOUGHT THE JAIL IS THE TERMINATED HEAD OF SECURITY. SHE FAILED HER POLICY -- POLYGRAPH.